Navy SEALs Kill 7 Al Qaeda Operatives In Deep Raid

It’s a bad idea to take on American special operators. That lesson was just learned the hard way by terrorists in Yemen — but by the time they realized their mistake, it was too late.

U.S. Central Command has revealed that seven fighters connected to the infamous Al Qaeda terrorist group have been killed. According to WBAL News, the militants were eliminated during a raid in Yemen led by elite Navy SEALs.

Tuesday’s successful raid came at a cost, however. Two American service members were wounded during the fighting. Fortunately, they were evacuated from the skirmish and were expected to survive.

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The goal of the operation was to disrupt the capabilities of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. A Pentagon official named Capt. Jeff Davis explained that the target had been used by the enemy “as a headquarters, a place to meet and plan for external operations.”

Central Command — the segment of the military responsible for Middle Eastern operations — elaborated on the operation.

“Raids such as this provide insight into AQAP’s disposition, capabilities and intentions, which will allow us to continue to pursue, disrupt, and degrade AQAP,” a CENTCOM news release explained.

Surprise was a key element of the mission. Capt. Davis told the media that the opposing forces were most likely not expecting the SEALs and had not anticipated a raid so deep into Al Qaeda territory. He stated that the operation was the “deepest we’ve ever gone into Yemen to fight AQAP,” according to CNN and WBAL.

While special operations personnel fought on the ground, they were assisted by a formidable ally in the sky. A heavily armed AC-130 gunship reportedly provided air support.

In addition to the seven terrorist fighters killed by SEALs, an unknown number may have also been taken out by the gunship. Pentagon officials stated that they did not believe any civilians had been injured.

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The fight against radical jihadists may never be truly finished … but at least there are now seven fewer terrorists plotting harm against Americans.

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